Lifestyle FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 2014 Seth Meyers starts Paris fashion week with giggles

s the seriously style-minded switch their focus from Milan to Paris, the first day of Amenswear collections showed that even the haughty world of fashion can have a giggle. Comedians Seth Meyers and Colin Jost, dressed head-to-toe in Valentino, punctured the stiff- upper-lip in the first of five days of back to back shows with humor, as powerful editors scram- bled around to see who had the better seat position. Meanwhile, some demonstrators certainly didn’t see a funny side to fashion week - protesting the “Just Cavalli” scent logo for rip- ping off an ancient religious symbol. Here are the highlights from the day of spring-summer 2015 shows including show reports from Valentino, Raf Simons and Carven.

VALENTINO Is Valentino loosening up? This season’s show, inspired by “outsiders and freethinkers,”

saw designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Models present creations for Valentino dur- Piccioli try to break out of their couture-con- ing the men’s 2015 spring-summer ready- scious - sometimes stiff - mold. Along the to-wear collection fashion show on June 25, pared-down catwalk of wooden planks, 52- 2014, in Paris. — AFP photos looks in myriad styles were showcased - includ- ing silken baggy pajamas pants, psychedelic flower prints, 60s-style ethnic suede jackets and even a dressed-up 4-piece suit littered with retro prints of a comic book. The strongest looks came from the simplest ideas: a fitted satin burgundy and gray suit that shimmered rock ‘n’ roll, or a luxuriant caramel 4-piece suit that was beautifully free-flowing. Though the loosening of gear is welcome, details such as rather odd butterfly appliques and the repetitive use of camouflage made it feel sometimes like Chiuri and Piccioli were still finding their menswear voice. The soundtrack, a version of “A Walk on the Wild Side” delivered with distinctly un-wild pan pipes, summed up the collection quite nicely: we’re wild but con- servative at heart.

Meyers laughs at fashion Though Meyers cut a fine style with a fitted navy blue silk and wool Valentino suit to the heritage house’s spring-summer 2015 show, he still felt a little nervous. “I’m a comedian in the world of fashion... I don’t know if I have any street cred, but I hope I’m blending in,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. The 40-year-old, who found fame as Saturday Night Live’s head writer and has, since February, hosted NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” said that he doesn’t single out the fashion world for mockery - but poking fun at this industry was like “shooting fish in the barrel.” Meyers saved his best innu- endo for his SNL successor Jost who hovered behind him in a funky blue denim Valentino suit. “(I watch his show) like a deposed king watches the younger person who took his throne. Oh, so angry,” he added, smiling.